Ranma, the Shepherd Boy
by RadicalForbiddenPizzaRoll
Summary: I always wondered what would happen if I changed only two little things in Ranma. One: A Promise Two: Timing Chapter 2: The sheep explains what's happening, there's a fight, and other stuff of that nature.
1. The Black Sheep with a White Lamb

**Chapter 1: Ranma, The Black Sheep With A White Sheep**

In Nerima, an average sized town in Japan, lived a widower, Soun Tendo, and his three daughters. The oldest of the girls was Kasumi, a beautiful, nineteen year old woman with a saintly personality. At age seventeen was Nabiki, a girl whose love of money was in its own class. Though nice at times, she will resort to most anything to gain just one more yen. And the youngest of the sisters was Akane, a martial artist at the young age of only sixteen, and a true force to be reckoned with.

Their father, Soun, was out on the porch, scratching at his moustache as he fiddled with the mail. He quickly glanced at the recent post, throwing each one behind his shoulder as he went through them all. Though, at the last piece, a small postcard with a picture of a giant panda, he quickly stopped. He read over the barely legible writing on the opposing side several times.

He jumped from his sitting position and starting jogging around the house, yelling, "Akane, Nabiki, Kasumi! Quickly, clean the Dojo, prepare a meal, put on a dress! Today is the day you meet a very important man!" A girl with long, dark, black hair, a bright yellow gi, and a slightly annoyed look on her face ran up to Soun. Two other women, both with dark brown hair, walked up in succession.

"Why, father," said the tallest, most elegant of the three, "who is it that will be visiting?" Her voice rolled off her tounge in a very soothing manner, like a mothers would.

Soun held up the postcard for them all to read and the shortest of the girls, Akane, began to read aloud. "Soun, old friend, my son and I are on our way to Nerima to meet your daughters, and choose his fiancée. I also have some… troubling news… to discuss with you. My son, Ranma, takes after me, as he is a great martial artist. Soun, we have much to talk about. Genma Saotome."

The three girls all gave their father disappointed stares, although, Akane's might have been more of a 'you set up one of our marriages without our consent?' death glare. A tear of sadness streamed down Souns cheek as his daughters displeasure reached him.

Kasumi, the oldest of the three, broke into a smile. "Okay, Father, we'll meet your friend, but I don't think any of us will want to marry him." He dropped down and started hugging Kasumi's ankles. The Tendo family walked into the Tea Room and sat down. Kasumi prepared some tea, and the four of them drank in silence as they waited for the arrival of Genma and his son.

Nearly half an hour later, the acute ears of Soun were the first to notice the soft footsteps approaching the entrance way. He hopped to his feet and ran to the cobbled path. As he exited the room he began a greeting for his old ally. "Saotome! Old friend, It's been so many y-!"

He quickly stopped when he saw who was coming through. Nabiki joined him immediately, but she stopped as soon as she had a peek at the entrance way.

"D-Daddy," she said as a giant panda, a small pure white lamb, and a very cranky red headed girl came drudging through the doorway, "These are your friends?" He nervously nodded no as the panda came to a stop. The girl gave an angry stare that made Soun cringe.

"I'm… I'm Ramna Saotome." She murmered, her scowl fading to an apologetic glance. "Sorry about this." The lamb let out a bleat, then jumped onto Ranmas head. She walked into the Tea Room and took a seat next across from Nabiki, and the panda followed.

"Oh my," Kasumi said, seeing both the panda and the lamb, "so you're Ranma. You look much more feminine than the post card led me to believe." Nabiki took a seat next to Ranma, and she gave her a quick look over.

"Daddy, this is a girl. I though you said Ranma was a boy."

Soun scratched his head and stared at the girl. "Well, I assumed that my friends SON was a MAN."

"Does this look like a boy to you?" she said in an aggravated tone, picking up one of Ranma's breasts. A very annoyed facial expression came over Ranma.

"Please stop that." She said, gently slapping Nabikis hand away.

"Nabiki, you shouldn't do that. She's a guest." Said Akane in a high, sweet voice. She stood up and placed a hand out for Ranma. "I heard you were into martial arts. Maybe you'd like to practice a little?" a small giggle escaped her mouth when she finished her sentence. 'How could I think this was going to be a stupid boy' she wondered to herself.

"Yeah. As long as you really don't mind." The red head replied. Ranma grabbed the hand, and the two girls, along with the sheep still on Ranma's head, walked over to the next building over, a large dojo.

Akane shot a glance at Ranma's sheep that was still perched on her cranium, even as the girl stretched. "Are you going to take that sheep off your head?" she asked.

"Huh?" She looked up and saw the things head poking out from over her. "Oh yeah, sorry." She gently set the lamb on the ground and bowed to Akane. Akane returned the bow, and they both got into their striking positions.

Akane charged right in with a straight punch, but Ranma disappeared. Akane looked around. Behind her! She struck with a roundhouse kick, but hit nothing. Instead, Ranma, out of nowhere, appeared on her leg and gave her a small smile. Any traces of smile that may have been taking resident on Akane's face immediately left, an she let out a long billowing, battle cry. She started punching rapid fire at Ranma, though instead of running, Ranma dodged every strike.

"Come on, you need to attack!" yelled Akane as she charge at Ranma with a fist ready to hit just about anything. Anything, of course, being Ranma, who was now at the other end of the dojo. Just a moment, no, half a moment before Akane's fist was to make impact, Ranma made a great leap into the air, clearing two backflips as she came down.

Akane stood, her fist broken through the thick wall. Ranma poked the back of Akane's head with her own index finger, then then both started to fall into a fit of wild laughter. Akane pulled her hand out of the wall and started scratching the back of her head. "Let's head back. I don't know about you, but I sure am thirsty." The sheep quietly bleated, and they headed back. When they returned they talked for a few hours before Kasumi oh-so-gently- intruded.

"Excuse me, Ranma, but your bath is ready."

"Oh, alright Kasumi. Thank you." She stood up and prepared. In the Tea Room, Soun Tendo and a middle aged man in a perfectly white gi sat across from each other, both men with tears in their eyes.

Ranma dipped herself in the hot bath, and after a few seconds, her red pigtail became a much darker black shade, and the large breast that had been manhandled, woops, I mean WOmanhandled, by Nabiki was no longer present, nor was the one on the other side. Instead in their place were muscular pectorals.

When she talked, it was in a much deeper voice, obviously not a female's. "Should I keep the curse a secret? They'd all think I was a freak if they knew." After a few minutes of soaking, he got out, now it was VERY evident that Ranma was no girl. "No, I have to tell them." He opened the sliding door that seperated the tub from the rest of the bathroom, though, an unexpected guest was on the other side.

Akane, the only thing covering her was a towel. She had a very shocked look on her face, but then, so did the also naked MAN that opened the bath door. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaahh! A pervert!" She quickly slapped him through the window of the second floor bathroom and got her clothes back on. She raced down stairs to the Tea Room and saw everyone already sitting down, well almost everyone. The panda and Ranma were both missing, though, the shepp was there, along with a fat, bald man wearing glasses.

"Guys, I just saw a pervert in the bathroom!" The man in the gi let out a sigh.

"That isn't any pervert. That was my son, Ranma."

"I don't think so. Ranma is a girl."

The boy with the black pigtail came down the stairs, though, now he had on a pair of loose pants and a red, Chinese, silk shirt. He sat down and sighed heavily. "Pop, you sure we should tell 'em?" The fat man, Genma, nodded a yes. "Yes, I am Ranma Saotome. I'm that girl that you met, but, she isn't me. My pop, my sister, and I are all cursed."

"And just what sister would that be, huh? Is she just that panda? Does your dad turn into a sheep?" Though she said it sarcastically, Ranma gave her a serious stare.

"No, don't be silly. The sheep is my sister and the old man is the panda." Genma nodded.

"Maybe," said Genma, "we should just show you." He picked Ranma up and tossed him into a small coy pond that was just outside the Tea Room. Black haired boy went in, and out came red headed girl.

"Oh no you don't!" She hopped out of the pond and kicked Genma, making him fly into the pool. Out came the panda.

He held up a sign with rough scribblings of words on it. 'Hey! What was that for?!' it said. Soun walked out with a steaming kettle of water and poured it on both their heads. Everyone gasped as the two returned to father and son.

"Saotome, would you mind explaining how this happened again?" Ranma kneed his father in the chin, and Genma fell back into the pool. Once again, he was a panda.

"No way I'm letting pop tell it. He'll just make me out to be the bad guy. Sis should be the one to tell it." He took the still half full kettle and poured it on the sheep. There stood a girl around Akane's age with big green eyes and long chestnut hair going all down her back, but the top was tied with a ribbon.

She wore a blue blouse with white trim and sleeves tied with ribbons and a pair of black form fitting pants. She smiled at everyone and a slight blush appeared on her face.

"Hi. I'm Ukyo."

Alright, everyone, this is just sort of a practice thing. I'm just going to see how you react. If you liked it I'd really appreciate a review and a favorite. If I don't really get anything, I'll stop writing this. So, I hope to see you again with a new chapter of anything, bye! Oh, And soon I'll give a bit more info on why it's called Ranma the Shepherd

**RFPR**


	2. Look Me Up

Before I officially start this chapter, I'd like to say that I don't really plan on writing this to match the original manga or anime, in fact while I write this, I don't have a reference at all, so this is all from memory. Tell me if you want me writing with a reference, or if I should continue how I am. Thanks, make sure to favorite and set on alert,

RFPR

Chapter 2:

"Hi. I'm Ukyo." The girl said, a small grin making its way onto her face. Soun's chin dropped, Kasumi muttered several 'Oh My's, and Akane still targeted Ranma with her scowl.

Soun cleared his throat and motioned everyone back into the Tendo house. Once inside, Ukyo began her tale.

"When we were only little kids, Genma decided that Ranchan, as his son, would inherit the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts. So, to insure that Ranma got proper training and was really fit to take over, Genma set us up on a trip to a famous Chinese Spring." Soun nodded, as he had been told this by Genma himself.

"So, we made our way to the Bayankala mountains, in the Qinghai province of China. There, we found the Spring of Jusenkyo. The guide to the spring tried to tell us something about some 'Accursed Spring' and 'Whoever fall' and 'body of last' and something about 'drowned there'. But we didn't listen. So, as a quick sparring match, Ranchan and I decided to battle it out while balancing on some stalks of bamboo."

"Genma tried to butt in half way through, telling us that we were too slow, so Ranma and I kicked him into the nearest pool. When he came back up to the surface, he was a panda. We were too stunned to move, and we were both knocked into separate pools by Genma. The guide came up to each of us, telling Ranma, 'Oh no! You fall into pool of drowned girl.' Then he turned to me and said 'woopsy, looks like you fall into pool of drowned lamb. Very tragic story of small lamb that drowned there 1100 year ago.'"

"And now," Ranma said, taking over the story, "Whenever we're splashed with cold water, we turn into a girl, and sheep, and a panda. Then, when we're dowsed with hot water, we turn back to normal."

Genma, still in his panda body, held up a sign. 'Poor me! And so, for almost ten years now, I've taken care of an ungrateful gender bending brat and a sheep.' Both of his kids kneed him in the chin.

"Who're you calling a brat and a sheep?!" They both yelled in unison.

"Oh my," gasped Kasumi. "So you three have been like this for more than half you lives?" the entire Soatome family nodded.

"You know, Ranma, you and Ukyo don't really look all that much alike."

"WHO CARES?!" Yelled Soun. He regained his composure and gestured to his daughters. "These are my daughters. This is Kasumi, she's nineteen." He pointed the eldest of the girls. "This is Nabiki, she's seventeen." He pointed to the girl that had groped Ranmas breast. "And this is Akane, she's sixteen. Choose whichever one you like, and she'll be your fiancée."

Nabiki and Kisumi pushed Akane forward, towards Ranma. "Akane would like to volunteer." Kasumi said, her voice still sweet. Akane gave her a death glare.

"Yeah, Akane. You said it yourself. You hate boys, and Ranma is half girl. It's a perfect match." Nabiki gave a small grin as she said this.

"Nabiki, Kasumi, Daddy! Don't I have any say in who I'm going to marry?! I don't want to marry this pervert! I don't want to get married at all!" Akane stated loudly.

"I aint no pervert and I aint marrying nobody!" Ranma yelled, startling everyone in the room. He opened his mouth to continue his protest, but before anything else could be said, he got a faceful of panda paw. Genma held up a sign.

'Shut up! For the sake of the two Schools of Anything Goes Martial Arts, you WILL marry Akane!'

"Like hell I will!"

Genma began writing on another sign, but was interrupted by several sharp kicks to his head.

"You heard him, Old Man, He isn't going to marry any of the Tendo's!" Ukyo continued kicking him, that is, until he threw a glass of water on her. "Baa! Baaaaa! Baa." She seemed less insulting and threatening as a lamb, though, those bleating noises could be a threat or a chain of swears.

She kepted bleating for a few more moments, then leapt onto Ranma's head. "My, does she always do that?" Asked a smiling Kasumi. Ranma gave her a nod.

"She's done it ever since we got our curses. I guess she feels vulnerable as a sheep, and goes up there to be safe." This earned him a small bleat from Ukyo.

"I'm still not going to marry that pervert." Akane pointed out. Ranma sighed and returned Akane's scowl.

"And I'm not going to marry any uncute, macho chick, tomboy of a girl." This earned him a serious death glare from Akane. Genma held up another sign.

'Foolish boy! Have some humility and be kind to your fiancée!' He took another glass of water and threw it at Ranma.

"Humility?" Ranma said, now in her red-headed body, "Look at yourself! I aint never seen a more prideful jerk than you!" The panda already more signs ready.

'I am SO humble! Why just a few years back when you and the Ukyo fell into that lake I…' He grabbed another sign. '…told one of the onlookers that the fathers of that girl and sheep must be a pretty damn…' another sign. '…hard working, kind, handsome man with great hair.'

Ranma picked up one of the signs and hit the Genma upside the head, sending him back to into the koi pond. "What about ANY of that was humble, Old Man?"

He slapped her with a sign that read 'Well I didn't say it first!'

"That doesn't make you humble, it makes you a king of stupidity!"

'OH YEAH?!'

"Yeah!"

'OH YEAH?!'

"Yeah!" as these two continued the conversation, Soun, seeing something odd, spoke up.

"Excuse me, Saotome, but where are you keeping all these signs to write on? Do you have some sort of pouch? Or do you just have one or two reusable ones?"

A death glare was sent his way from his best friend. He held up a sign. 'Using signs is an ancient Saotome tradition. Only me and Ranma know where they come from.' This distraction gave Ranma enough time to land a solid kick on the pandas face, sending him flying into the koi pond.

The Ranma started chuckling and put her hands behind her head. "I told you that I was gonna sorry for this."

Time passed in the Tendo house, and soon, the morning slipped away, as did the afternoon, and the city of Nerima was cloaked in the eerie darkness of the night. On the front porch, Genma and Soun were engaged in a match of Shogi, with neither of them actually winning. Nabiki was in her room, sorting out a small stack of cash, eventually setting it next to several large stacks. Kasumi was in her room, reading a thick paperback novel entitled 'Birth by Sleep', and Akane… Akane was out in the dojo, once more in her yellow gi, and once more breaking cinderblocks with her bare hands.

Ranma soon silently scuttled in, the wide grin from the morning still on his face. He squatted down to Akanes level and his smile somehow showed more happiness. She saw that Ukyo was not with him. "Hey tomboy," he said as she shattered another brick, "sorry 'bout earlier. Maybe we got off on the wrong foot, what with me being a girl, Sis being a sheep and the Old Man being a panda." He stuck out a friendly hand. "I'm Ranma Saotome. It's good to meet 'cha, Tomboy!"

An angry stare was all he got in return, well, besides his hand being slapped away.

"Aw, what's wrong? I thought your name is kinda cool. Tomboy. It sounds really funny." A vein grew on Akane's head. She gave him another death glare.

"My name is Akane. NOT. TOMBOY. YOU. PERVERT."

"Hm… Akane, huh? Well, whoever you are, I aint no pervert. Hey, you wanna hear a joke?" Another glare. "Cool. So this guy walks into a restaurant… No wait. It was a panda. So a panda walks into a restaurant, and a waiter comes by to take his order. The panda brings out a gun and kills the waiter, then runs away. When the police finally catch up with him and ask why he did it, the oanda sais 'look me up in the dictionary. So a cop got a-'"

"Shut up! Just because you tell a joke or apologize doesn't mean we're friends! I want you to just leave me alone." She walked off, steaming mad, and cheeks starting to glow red. She stomped into her bed room, and slumped into her desk chair. She looked at her school brief case, and remembered her homework.

"Maybe this'll take my mind off that pervert." She looked at her biology page. "Find definition of pancytopenia and use it in a sentence." She opened her large dictionary and turned to the 'P's. She dragged her finger down the page until she hit her homework word. She quickly wrote it and its meaning down, and was about to close the book, when Ranmas joke came to mind.

"Look me up in the dictionary." Just under pancytopenia sat the word panda. She read it's definition aloud. "A large bear-like creature… yaddayaddayadda… Eats shoots and leaves." A smile slowly crawled onto her face and she read the words again. She let out a few giggles laid her head on her bed. "Okay Ranma Saotome… for that I'll forgive you for thinking my name was Tomboy... This time."

In the next room over, Nabiki Tendo, now finished counting her huge stacks of money, took a plastic glass away from the wall that separated her and her younger sisters room. She pulled out a spiral notebook from one of her drawers and began writing. When she was done, it all spelled out Akanes forgiveness for Ranma. Under the sentence, she simply wrote, '1500 yen.'

Sorry that it took so long for this chapter to come out. I've been trying to get caught up at school, and I've recently been working on a manuscript that I plan on sending to Dark Horse. I only started this once I was sure I would have a small audience as well, as this would be pointless otherwise.

**If you're wondering about Ranma and Akane's OOCness in this chapter, I plan on making this story quite a bit different from the original manga or anime. I'm going to have to thank Richard Riley for helping inspire this chapter. Check out his great Ranma story, "The Saotome Sisters", and I swear, I didn't steal the idea for Ukyo from him.**

**Well, Anywhoozle, thanks for reading, and I'd really like to hear your opinions in the review section. I'll guess I'll end it here, and I'll never see you guys again. That is, of course**

**until the next chapter.**

**RFPR.**


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